Fine Art Photographs by Johnny Tang

Artist Statement

Having the face of a minority in America, and the cultural upbringing of a minority in Asia, I’ve always felt partially out of place.

In America, whenever I meet someone new — even another Asian — I always seem to have the same conversation about “what kind of Asian” I am. When I’m in America, people see me as emphatically Asian. However, when I’m in Asia, people can only see me as an American. After all I think like an American, that is I think in English!

For much of my life I’ve thought that I have these experiences because of the way I look. My solution then, is to change the way I’m looked at. By taking influences from both my Asian and American cultures and fusing the two together, I am creating a new aesthetic. One that is distinctly Asian American. My hope is that in developing an Asian American aesthetic, I will influence our culture in such a way that it also reflects my unique cultural background. This way I can feel more at home here in America, a project that is no doubt important both for myself and for other Asian Americans.